SAN DIEGO — If reports that the Houston Astros went to extraordinary measures to steal signs during the 2017 postseason are true, “the line was crossed” and the integrity of those games was “absolutely” violated, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

The Astros are currently under investigation by MLB and their manager, A.J. Hinch, declined to comment when asked about the allegations during Tuesday’s Winter Meetings media sessions. Roberts’ comments were his first public comments since a report in The Athletic exposed the Astros’ behavior.

Roberts and Hinch are good friends from their days together with the San Diego Padres (Roberts as a coach, Hinch in the scouting department). Roberts acknowledged he had “a conversation with A.J.” about the allegations but would not say any more.

“He’s still one of my good friends,” Roberts said.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has limited his comments since reports of the Astros’ system for stealing signs and relaying them to batters first came out. But he agreed with Roberts – adding the same “if true” caveat – that “for sure” a line was crossed if the Astros took their attempts to steal signs beyond the boundaries of the playing field.

“There’s no question in my mind,” Friedman said.

“On the field, as we all know, that’s a part of the game, sign stealing, reading catchers and tipping – that’s all part of the game,” Roberts said. “But there is a line.”

The Dodgers took the Astros to seven games in the 2017 World Series with speculation about pitch-tipping centering on Yu Darvish during the series. Darvish started and took the losses in Games 3 and 7. But Roberts said his feelings about the series loss will not change if the charges against the Astros are proven true.

“No, because it still – nothing is going to change it,” he said. “It’s not going to change, no matter how I feel.

“Regardless of how I feel, it happened, and the commissioner – they’re going to deal with it in the way they see best. But as far as kind of my sentiments, it’s just not going to – it’s not helpful really for anyone.”

JOB SECURITY

After the Dodgers’ early exit from the playoffs this fall, there was much public debate about Roberts’ job status. In the immediate aftermath of the NLDS defeat, Friedman said he was “surprised” that was even a question.

Roberts took it a step farther.

“I was shocked by it – as far as the thought of it,” Roberts said of the idea that the early exit would cost him his job.

“It wasn’t even a topic of concern for me.”

NOT DONE YET

Former Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp was at the Manchester Grand Hyatt, site of the Winter Meetings this week, with his agent, Larry Reynolds on Tuesday. The 35-year-old Kemp was asked if he was looking for a team to continue playing in 2020.

“I’m not looking to go home,” he said with a laugh. “Why is everyone asking me that? I’m not retired. I was hurt last year.”

Kemp was limited to 20 games with the Cincinnati Reds in 2019 before they released him in May. Signed to a minior-league deal by the New York Mets, he was released again in July without making the majors.

RYU VIEW

MLB created a new postseason award this year – the All-MLB team. The Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger was named a first-team outfielder and Hyun-Jin Ryu a second-team starting pitcher.

“He’s put himself in this position to hit the free-agent market and get a feel for what’s out there and what makes the most sense for him and his family,” Friedman said. “Looking back, he’s been a big part of our success over the past couple years. I have a lot of respect for him. The confidence as an organization that we had every fifth day when he took the mound was real. Where that takes us at this point, I’m not sure. But we definitely have interest based on what he’s meant to us looking back.”

Ryu’s injury history could be a concern for some teams – he has started more than 20 games just twice in the past five seasons and missed almost two years following shoulder and elbow surgeries. But Boras said he is not having to sell teams on Ryu.

“You don’t sell a pitcher like Ryu. Teams call you because he’s performed at Cy Young levels,” Boras said.

TV GUIDE

ESPN released the majority of games chosen for “Sunday Night Baseball” and the Dodgers will appear at least three times – April 5 at San Francisco, May 31 in New York against the Mets and July 16 at home against the Giants. The July 16 game is actually a Thursday night, the first game after the All-Star break.

Bill Plunkett has covered everything from rodeo to Super Bowls to boxing (yeah, I was there the night Mike Tyson bit Evander Holyfield's ear off) during a career that started far too long ago to mention and eventually brought him to the OC some time last century (1999 actually). He has been covering Major League Baseball for the Orange County Register since 2003, spending time on both the Angels and Dodgers beats.

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